Etymology

Always derived from ON, probably via the ME noun wale ‘choice’ (see MED s.v. wāle n.1); with this cp. OIcel val (neut.) and vǫl (fem.), and in WGmc only OHG wala. There is no clear evidence for *wal- ‘choice’ in OE, unless the name Wæls (Wælsing) is formed on this root (see e.g de Vries s.v. Vǫlsung, AEW s.v. Wæls). The related (wk. 1) v. is more widely represented in Gmc, viz. OIcel velja ‘to choose, elect, pick out’, cognate with Go waljan, OS wellian, OHG wellen; but is less likely to be the source of the ME verb, unless the vocalism has been transferred from the pret. (cp. OIcel valdi) as TGD appears to suggest.  

PGmc Ancestor

*wal-

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

val 'choice', vǫl 'choice'
(ONP val (2)(sb.)(n.), vǫl (sb.); cp. velja (vb.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

Far val, Icel val, Norw val, ODan val, Dan valg, Sw val; Far velja, Icel velja, Norw velja, Dan vælge, Sw välja

OE Cognate

Phonological and morphological markers

Summary category

B2ac

Attestation

Characteristically N and esp. in alliterative poetry (inc. Harley 2253) in ME, with the possible exception of c1390 Susan.(Vrn); in MnE N, Sc. and Irel. dial.

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

Gaw 398, 1238, 1276; Pe 1000, 1007; Cl 921, 1734; Pat 511; Erk 64; WA 759*, 806*, 1014, etc,

The instance at Gaw 1238 is interpreted as a n. meaning ‘choice’ by McGee (1940: 355), but it is more likely a v., as most editors take it.

Bibliography

MED wālen (v.1) , OED wale (v.1) , HTOED , HTOED , HTOED , EDD (v.2, sb.2 and adj.), Dance wale (a)(v.), Bj. 256-7, de Vries val (1); velja; vǫl, Mag. val (1); velja; völ, Bj-L velge, Orel *walan ~ *walō; *waljanan, Kroonen *waljan-